Zackery Hobler's 'Beneath Two Skies' Explores Prescribed Burning and Perception
Zackery Hobler's photobook 'Beneath Two Skies' documents prescribed burning in southwestern Ontario, where he has walked alongside burn technicians since 2017. The book defers spectacle, focusing on the phenomenological experience of moving through a landscape on fire. Hobler founded the Toronto Photobook Library (2017-2023) and now holds wildland firefighting certification, actively conducting burns. The grid layout and hidden text under the jacket flap reflect his interest in visual perception. Influences include Ron Jude's 'Lick Creek Line', Paul Kooiker's 'Heaven', and Timothy Snyder's 'On Freedom'. The title evokes a sense of being between two skies. Hobler is currently working on a new project in Paris.
Key facts
- Zackery Hobler's photobook 'Beneath Two Skies' focuses on prescribed burning.
- Hobler has walked with burn technicians in southwestern Ontario since 2017.
- He founded the Toronto Photobook Library (2017-2023).
- The book uses a grid layout to evoke instability and walking.
- A hidden text under the jacket flap describes the act of looking.
- A tipped-in image of forsythia marks the start of burn season.
- Hobler now holds wildland firefighting certification and conducts burns.
- He is working on a new project in Paris.
Entities
Artists
- Zackery Hobler
- Amanda Sauer
- Ron Jude
- Paul Kooiker
- Tim Carpenter
- Robert Adams
- Jenia Fridlyand
- Sheila Heti
- Timothy Snyder
Institutions
- Toronto Photobook Library
- Penumbra's LTP program
- University of Toronto
- Harvard University
- Lenscratch
Locations
- southwestern Ontario
- Southern Ontario
- Paris
- France
- Canada